Summer rots the brains: That is why we love it so. Still, we nurse our sympathies for those who swear by that over-valued organ, so if you wish to slow that downward slide, we offer you a selection of fine workshops this summer. They are taught by artists, you know, and unless otherwise indicated, the cost of materials is included in tuition. Advance registration is recommended! You may register at the bottom of the page, here.
Saturday, June 28, 10am – 2pm, $12 Suggested
ENCAUSTIC AS A TOOL
w/Richard Keen
Encaustic painting—using tinted waxes— can be a valuable asset to any tudio practice for building surface, enhancing color and as a method for collage. With 15 years of experience using encaustic, the artist will demonstrate its applications and techniques in painting, sculpture and photography. Students will learn studio safety, how to mix colors, fuse surfaces, what the best supports are, and basic encaustic painting techniques. They will learn how to use it in the collage process and how to use it as a texture building tool for surfaces. Students should bring Xerox photo copies, assorted paper, old drawings, inkjet photos and anything that they hope to incorporate into their encaustic work. 12 students max.
Richard Keen’s studio practice embraces painting, drawing, sculpture and printmaking as well as digital technologies in an effort to fulfill his need to be an explorer. Beyond creating visually engaging and pleasing works of art, he strives to stimulate a visual dialog with viewers that encourages them to look more deeply at the connections between their memories of the environments and objects that impact their lives – as he pursues those that influence his. When not painting, Mr. Keen spends alot of time underwater as a salvage and repair diver.
Saturday, July 26, 10am – 2pm, $12 Suggested
MIXED MEDIA WORKSHOP
with Maya Kuvaja
Express yourself with a new way of visual storytelling. Have fun and expand your art making possibilities with simple techniques that combine printed images with drawing and painting. We will learn how to transfer images to our surface, then layer our own acrylic painting to achieve unexpected results. You may bring your own paper collage material and black and white laser prints, photocopies or newspaper (inkjet prints do not work well) or I will supply them (keep in mind photocopies will be reversed).
Based in Bridgton, Maine, local artist Maya Kuvaja creates mixed media oil paintings that blend images derived from science, nature, industry, and myth. Working from her studio in the woods, her work explores the ways in which humans interact and conflict with nature and the tenuous qualities of memory and perception. Her current body of work, for which she received a Maine Arts Commission grant, addresses the effects of human industry on various species, and coincides with the Passenger Pigeon Project, working to raise awareness of species loss and promote preservation.
Saturday, August 9, 10am – 2pm, $12 suggested
PATTERNS
w/Lara Gibson
Explore the intricacies of pattern design; shape and texture, movement, positive and negative space. Learn how to create dynamic repeat patterns from your drawings by exploring a variety of layouts. We will work primarily with pens and ink and markers. This workshop will give you the tools to make repeat ready artwork that could then be digitally printed on fabric by a number on online resources! Bring if you have them: pencils, eraser, scissors, x-acto knife, tape. 12 students max.
Lara Gibson received an MFA in Textile Design from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2004. She’s been obsessed with patterns ever since she can remember, from the Marimekko windowshades in her childhood home to the hand-made tables linens given her by her German grandmother. She has worked as a pattern designer for Land’s End, Angela Adams, Berskhire Blankets, and more.
Saturday, August 23, 10am – 2pm, $10 Suggested
The Art of Looking at What Isn’t Really There
w/Toni Jo Coppa
Have you ever been at a loss when it comes to subject matter? Try accessing your own unconscious! Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon involving random stimulus being perceived as something visually significant—think Rorschach Tests. Leonardo DaVinci even wrote about using pareidolia as a creative device in his notebooks back in the 15th century. The artist will share examples of ways to produce these creative opportunities with paint, pattern, pencil, ink or watercolor, and even acts of destruction. 15 students maximum.
Based in Portland, Maine, Toni Jo Coppa creates mixed media paintings and sculptures that embrace her darker side. Not afraid to own her own shadow, her studio practice often includes destructive acts akin to displays of adolescent angst like vandalism, violence and pyromania. Like fire ecology and healthy coniferous ecosystems, the destruction of materials is a necessary contributor to the vitality of her work. She is influenced by her love of nature, animals and psychology.
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